Transient central diabetes insipidus after aortocoronary bypass operations.

Three cases of transient central diabetes insipidus after cardiopulmonary bypass are presented. All 3 patients responded promptly to administration of vasopressin, and were completely recovered from polyuria 10 days after cardiac surgery. It is postulated that transient diabetes insipidus after cardiac operation occurred in some patients who had preexisting selective osmoreceptor dysfunction when cardiac standstill during extracorporeal circulation alters the left atrial nonosmotic receptor function, resulting in suppression of antidiuretic hormone release.